In microscopy methods that use pulsed laser light for illuminating the sample it is important that the excitation pulses and the responses of the measured object to the excitation pulses fall within a temporal detection interval that is favorable for the measuring system used. Due to the technical design of the excitation light sources, the detection systems for detecting the light coming from the sample, the measuring system for determining the time periods between the excitation of the sample and the response, and the corresponding system tolerances of the individual components, it is necessary to take the respective delay of the individual components into account. For this purpose, control signals for generating the light pulses and control signals for synchronizing the detector and measuring equipment are timed to one another such that an optimal result of measurement can be achieved. This is, for example, achieved in that the control signals are delayed by a suitable amount of time.
It is known to achieve such a delay by using signal lines of different lengths. Dependent on the material of the line, the signal propagation speed in the line and the length of the line, a delay, for example, in the nanosecond range or in the sub-nanosecond range can then be achieved very precisely. The lengths of the individual signal lines are precisely calculated, and the corresponding lines are firmly installed in the microscope. Further, it is known to use specific electronic delay elements for delaying the control signals, which delay elements make regular delays up to the picosecond range possible.